Traffic congestion is worsening day by day in Bogra town, making it difficult for the local people to reach their destination on time.
According to Traffic Division, even though more than one lakh vehicles operate in the town, half of them have no licence. Despite various efforts made by the authority concerned, traffic gridlock continues to spiral. Over the past 13 months from October 2024 to October 2025, they filed 6,485 cases against drivers and fined them Tk2.08 crore for violating traffic rules.
Motorcyclists faced the most penalties, with 3,904 bikes seized and fined. Cases were also filed against 1,134 buses and trucks, 508 CNG-run autorickshaws, 262 microbuses and private cars, and 677 other vehicles.
According to Traffic Division, Tk5,28,875 was collected in fines in October 2024 while Tk14,78,175 in November, and Tk19,32,975 in December. Besides, Tk15,82,525 was collected in fines in January of the current year, followed by Tk14,39,640 in February, Tk12,17,000 in March, Tk10,42,250 in April, Tk 15,52,925 in May, Tk17,21,025 in June, Tk23,91,450 in July, Tk22,79,025 in August, Tk19,30,650 in September, and Tk 17,47,500 in October.
Monthly fine collections fluctuated throughout the year, with October 2024 recording Tk5,28,875 and July marking the highest monthly collection at Tk23,91,450. In October this year, fines totalled more than Tk17,47,500.
Residents from several areas, including Namazgarh, Katnarpara, Sultanganjpara, Dattabari, and Kalitla, said that congestion has become intolerable due to illegal roadside vendors, indiscriminate stopping of vehicles, and unregulated motorcycle parking in busy commercial areas such as Borgola. Thousands of school and college vehicles, along with the Kortoa Gate Lock buses running between Satmatha and Sherpur, create heavy pressure on the roads.
While the number of CNG and battery-run autorickshaws grows daily, road expansion remains stagnant. Many residential garages have been converted for charging these vehicles, with many allegedly using illegal electricity connections.
Local residents further complained that mobile food shops and fruit stalls occupy major roads throughout the day, including Satmatha connecting roads, Kabi Nazrul Islam Road, Thana Road, Jhautala, and the Judge Court area. Daily toll collection from these vendors—by both individuals and groups—has reportedly allowed the encroachment to continue unchecked. Although eviction drives are conducted occasionally, vendors return within days.
Rules restricting truck movement before 8 pm are also poorly enforced, causing heavy congestion in Namazgar and Dalpatti. School buses frequently struggle to reach institutions on time due to trucks blocking key routes. A journey that should take three to four minutes—from Dattabari to Satmatha—now often takes 40 minutes by motorbike or rickshaw. Residents blame the worsening crisis on weak enforcement and widespread disregard for traffic laws.
Inspector (Administration) of Bogra Traffic Division Salekuzzaman Khan said the road network can support a maximum of 50,000 vehicles, yet more than twice that number operate daily, many without proper documents. Although over six thousand cases were filed and more than Tk 2 crore was collected as fines in the past year, congestion remains unchanged.
He has blamed illegal roadside occupation, footpath encroachment, mobile shops, and the absence of designated parking spaces at key points for the traffic gridlock.
He also cited the large number of educational institutions and the Kortoa Gate Lock buses as additional pressure points. The inspector urged residents to cooperate fully in efforts to keep Bogra free of traffic jams.
